Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the first 48-team World Cup, which also featured a record 10 African countries.
But the country still had representation at the tournament, as sixteen players carrying Nigerian blood, either through a parent, or a grandparent, have spent the last two weeks showing that the country's football talent is as ubiquitous as it is exceptional.
And they have not been quiet. From Folarin Balogun opening the tournament with a two-goal bang, to Promise David stretching every sinew to give Canada a goal against Switzerland, players of Nigerian origin have been showing up and showing out at the World Cup.
Despite 16 teams being eliminated at the conclusion of group stage exertions, every single of of those sixteen was still in the tournament, with most contributing to their teams' fortunes.
Here is how they have done so far.
Folarin Balogun (United States)
Balogun's tournament opener against Paraguay was the best individual display of the group stage for any player on this list. After the USA went ahead through an own goal, he struck twice before halftime.
His first was a first-time finish from a Christian Pulisic pass to make it 2-0, the second a darting run that saw him dance past two defenders off a Malik Tillman through-ball before curling a finish into the top corner.
In doing so, Balogun wrote himself into the record books. It was the first multi-goal World Cup game for an American player since Bert Patenaude in 1930, and put him one goal away from levelling Landon Donovan's three-goal haul from 2010 for the second-most goals by a USA player in a single edition
Against Australia in Seattle, he turned creator: a driving run down the left ended with a low cross that Cameron Burgess turned into his own net for the opener.
The performances earned him FIFA's Player of the Match award in both wins, as the USA wrapped up Group D with a game in hand.
Michael Olise (France)
Even without the benefit of a brace like USA's Balogun, Olise's tournament debut against Senegal won him Man of the Match.
That came from 100% shot accuracy, four chances created, two of them big chances, and the assist that broke the deadlock, a precision angled pass through Senegal's defense that Mbappé swept home to become France's all-time top scorer.
Against Iraq, he was even sharper, recording two assists and an 8.9 rating in a 3-0 win, taking his tally to three assists from two matches, more than any other player in the tournament at that stage.
He played 65 minutes as a rotating France topped Norway 4-1, emerging with a relatively modest 6.8 rating, but in a dead rubber, that is acceptable.
Felix Nmecha (Germany)
Nmecha opened the scoring for Germany inside six minutes of the tournament opener against Curaçao, combining with Florian Wirtz before steering a first-time finish into the far corner.
He also won the foul for the penalty that made it 3-1 before half-time.
Against Ivory Coast, his contribution was even more decisive in context: with the match locked at 1-1 deep into stoppage time, Nmecha stayed composed under pressure, threaded a pass to Deniz Undav, who turned and fired home the winner in the 94th minute to confirm Germany's place in the knockouts.
He did struggle in their final game against Ecuador, dealing poorly with Ecuador's high press.
He was dispossessed in the first half, which led directly to Ecuador's equalizer in the 9th minute, and generated two shots on goal before being substituted for Angelo Stiller in the 64th.
Manuel Akanji (Switzerland)
Akanji played all 270 possible minutes across Switzerland's three group games, the defensive constant in a side that conceded only three goals in the group stage and topped Group B ahead of co-hosts Canada.
He was the calm, experienced presence that allowed a young Swiss back line to play with control.
In the decisive 2-1 win over Canada that sent Switzerland top of the group, he played the full 90 as Switzerland weathered Canada's pressure before two quick second-half goals settled it.
Akanji completed 62 of his 67 passes for an excellent pass completion rate above 90% while his eight defensive clearances and winning critical ground duels largely served to nullify many of Canada's attacking transitions.
Jamal Musiala (Germany)
Musiala's best moment came in the second half of the Curaçao opener, when he doubled Germany's lead with a right-footed finish across the goalkeeper just two minutes after the restart.
Against Ivory Coast, he was part of the buildup play Germany relied on for long spells before two late Undav goals won it, and he had a goal controversially ruled out alongside Nmecha for a foul earlier in that match.
Against Ecuador, the entire Germany team were below par, but he still produced the assist for Leroy Sané's opening goal inside the first two minutes.
David Alaba (Austria)
Alaba's signature moment came in the dramatic 3-3 draw with Algeria that decided second place in Group J.
With just under half an hour played, he clipped a long diagonal pass over the Algerian defense that Marko Arnautović ran onto and steered past the goalkeeper for the opening goal.
Akanji continued to influence the game with his distribution from the back, completing 49 of 50 passes before being substituted for Kevin Danso.
A rating of 6/10 in that game reflected a mixed night, composed and incisive on the ball, but Algeria's pace in behind occasionally got the better of him and Austria's defense overall.
He started Austria's tournament-opening 3-1 win over Jordan and the 2-0 loss to Argentina, where Messi's brace proved decisive.
Promise David (Canada)
David has started Canada's games largely as a substitute, but still found a way to score.
His only goal came in the 76th minute of Canada's 2-1 loss to Switzerland in their final group game.
It helped cut the deficit to to 2-1 after a quick second-half double from the Swiss, a finish that ultimately wasn't enough to prevent the defeat but did contribute to Canada's superior goal difference in the race for second place.
Antonio Nusa (Norway)
Nusa started and played 73 minutes of Norway's 4-1 demolition of Iraq in their tournament opener, providing width and pace alongside Haaland's double without registering directly on the scoresheet himself.
He started again against Senegal, playing 71 minutes of a tense 3-2 win before being withdrawn for defensive reinforcement as Norway protected a one-goal cushion that held despite a Senegalese rally in stoppage time.
With qualification already wrapped up, he played only seven minutes in the 1-4 loss to France as Solbakken rotated his side heavily.
Tani Oluwaseyi (Canada)
Tani started started multiple games as part of Canada's front line alongside Jonathan David, with one effort saved by the Switzerland goalkeeper in the decisive group game, but still just failed to find the net or register an assist in any of Canada's three group matches.
Bukayo Saka (England)
Saka came off the bench for the opening 4-2 win over Croatia and made an instant impact, laying on the assist for Marcus Rashford's clinching fourth goal, after seizing possession on the right and finding Rashford in space on the left.
He played only 25 minutes in the 0-0 draw with Ghana as Tuchel managed his fitness, then started the Panama finale, lasting 63 minutes and adding another assist before being withdrawn.
Saka is not yet at full throttle and that is a scary prospect for the opposition as England enter the knockouts
Noni Madueke (England)
Madueke has not exactly lit up the World Cup as yet.
He started against Ghana in England's second group game, his most involved performance where he forced a save with a deflected shot, drove into the box only to be swarmed by four defenders in midfield, and generally caused problems down the right without finding the breakthrough in a frustrating 0-0 draw.
He came off the bench in both the Croatia win and the Panama win, with an effort saved by the Panama goalkeeper after a clever Morgan Rogers through-ball among his contributions.
Ime Okon (South Africa)
Okon was one of the more outstanding players in a Bafana Bafana team that defied all expectations to reach the round of 32.
He was a fixture in Hugo Broos' back four throughout the group campaign, including the opening defeat to Mexico and the draw with Czechia and stands out as one of the best of the rearguard along with Mbokazi as South Africa mounted a Herculean defensive effort to thwart South Korea and reach their first World Cup knockout stage ever
Carney Chukwuemeka (Austria)
Chukwuemeka is yet to feature. He was an unused substitute for the decisive 3-3 draw with Algeria, watching from the bench as Sasa Kalajdzic's stoppage-time header secured Austria's passage instead.
Eberechi Eze (England)
Eze's longest involvement was roughly 17 minutes in the goalless draw with Ghana, introduced in the 74th minute alongside Morgan Rogers in a double change designed to inject creativity against Ghana's well-organized low block.
The move didn't produce a breakthrough, and Eze was even at fault for a heavy touch that briefly gifted Ghana a counter-attacking opportunity late on.
He had similarly brief cameos in the Croatia and Panama wins. Across all three games, his combined minutes are under 40, with no shots on target, goals, or assists recorded.
Noah Okafor (Switzerland)
Okafor has not appeared in any game so far through Switzerland's three group games. He was named among the substitutes for the decisive win over Canada but did not get onto the pitch, with Yakin preferring Breel Embolo, Rubén Vargas, and Dan Ndoye in the front line
Owen Goodman (Canada)
Goodman came to the World Cup as understudy and third choice goalkeeper. It would take two major catastrophes for him to see action.
He has been an unused substitute for all three of Canada's group games, with Maxime Crépeau established as Jesse Marsch's first-choice goalkeeper throughout.
His World Cup involvement has been entirely about squad presence and experience for the future, with zero competitive minutes played.